Sectional cabinet.



A. E. IONES.

SECTIONAL `CABINET` APPLICATION FILED Aue.29. 191s A TTUHNE YS mslm@ A. E. JGNES.

SECTIONAL CABINET. APPucATmM min Amma, 1916,

3 SHEETS-V-SHEET 2.

B Y @uw MQW A TTU/MIE YS A. E. JONES. SECUONALCABINEL` APPLICATION FILED AUjLZE` 1914i.

1 ,285,209 Patente Nov. 19, H918.

3 SHEETSf-SHEET 3.

4 INVENTO? ATTORNEYS ARTHUR E. JONES, or sYRAcUs'E, NEW YORK, AssIGNon To THE o. iu. EDWARDS cori-f PANY, IN C., F SYRACUSE, YRIL'A CORPORATION 0F NEWWYORK.

' sncfrioitni. CABINET.

y Specioagtion of Letters Patent. 'Patented Nov, 19, 1918;r

Application filed August 29, 1916. Serial No. 117,425.

To all whom t may concern: f

Be itlrnown that I, y,/.nriiiin E. JoNiis,a citizen of the United Stateaand a resident` of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful ySectional Cabinet, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates` to sectional cabinets, and has for its object a particularly simple and efiicient locking means for the' movable elements, as the drawersy yor other movable parts of the cabinet, anda thin flat unit carrying the-lock operating means, which unit is adapted tojbe placed between any two sections or above and below any one of the sections, and the lock loperating i means carried thereby coupled with the locking mechanism of the adjacent sections; and the invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and `constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

ln describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views. l

JFigure yl is an elevation of three of the sections of my cabinet showingv the unit which carries the lock operating means 1nterposed between two of the regular sections which contain drawers or the movable parts t0 be lOCkBd. Y f

Fig. 2 isA an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of line 2-2, Fig.` l.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view, partly in section and partly broken away, of thethin flat unit showing the operating means for the locking mechanism. Y

,Fig i is a sectional view taken on the plane ofk line 4 4, Fig. 2. i

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the,v locking mechanism shown in Fig. 4.'

f rlhis cabinet comprises generally, sections provided with kmovable 'parts as drawers, mechanism carried bythe sections for lock# ing the drawers, each locking mechanism including means for coupling said mechanism means for the locking mechanism of alll the ,below any of the regular drawer with the mechanisms of 'adjoining sections, and a unit carrying only the operating various units, thisunitf` being interchange7 able with any of the Vdrawer containing sections `and placeablebetween, or above or containing sections, said operating means including Yparts ll at their rear ends parts for coupling said means to the drawer locking mechanism of the adjoining sections so that the drawer locking mechanism ofall the sections canbe actuatedv by the` operating means inthis unit. i

I have here shown my invention as enibod'ied in a sheet metal sectional filing cabinet, each of they sections of which is provided with drawers. drawers, other movable parts maybe provided and the term drawer is used throughoutthe specification and claims for thesake of brevity. and convenience, but it will `be nnderstoodthat this invention is not limited to the use of drawers,

but thatany other movable parts may be used instead of draw` Obviously, instead kof 1, 2 and designate regularsections, each i section being shown as provided with two drawers 4 and as including a bodypr vbox open at its front sideand having the front margins 5, 6, 7 of its top, sides and bottom, bent in angular relation thereto to form a marginal .facingy around the open fronty side of the box. The frontinargins 5,6 of the top and, sides are bent intoV the box 'and that gfthe bottoni downwardly at'f? out'of the 0X. a f l linings Sfexteiid from the margins 6V parallel to the sides, to the rear wall and'support guides 10 for the drawers. VSaid lin# ings are formed withangularly arranged provided with openings in which the locking bolt to be del scribed is'guided. `The sections l, 2, 3 .are are locked together in any suitable manner so that when theyare placed in position one' caiinotbe vlifted oli the other until its lockl ing meansiis'iinlocked. Thislocking meansV and the manner in which the sections l', 2, 3

interlock maybe of any suitablel construcf tion, and form no part of/this invention.

Theopening at the front end of each sectionv isdivided into the drawer spaces'by A the strip 12, andkr drawer guides, which are paired ywith the Vguides 10 lextend, rearwardly from opposite edges ofl this strip.

. Theiidownturned. front margin 7 to` gether with corresponding angesjorniar? gins 13k and '14 on the sidesand back of the box form a shallow cavity l5 on the lower side of each section while the upper side of the top yof each sectionis fiat.

As herefillustrated. the means forglocki v ingl Ithe drawer lcomnriscs a roch shaft lo;

extendingv verticallyv et each section Vin the rear ot the drawers,k and, a bolt 17 operated by the roclt shai 16 and having means as hooks 18 Jfor interlockingl with the draners, the hooks extending' into slots 19 in the rear ends of the drawers and interlocking with saidk rear Walls, ot the ends oil the vslots Each hook has an inclined or ratcheting surface 2O which causes the bolt to be pressed to the right so that the hoolr can ratchety or latch into operative engagement with the drawer, after the rock shaft is in its locked position and a drawer that has remained partly out, is pushed in.

As here shown1 the roel: shaft is provided with roel: arms 2l, at its opposite ends, one ot these rock arms as 2l being located VWithin the box near the top and haveV ing a cranlr pin 2S extending; through an arc-shaped slot above the flattop.v The other rock arm is located at the lower end 0i the roclt shaft l@ in the caritT l5 and has a slot tor receiving the om Q3 oi'thc rock arm 2l ot the adioinineunit or ot a similar roel; arm on the operating shaft.

Y The bolt 17 moves across the rear ends ot the drawers and is guided in openings 26' formed in the angular pieces ll of the linings. The motion ot the roch shaft l is transmitted to the bolt by eccentric means a roch arm mounted onthe roc/lt shaft 16. is here shown, the motion ot this roch shaft is transmitted to the bolt l? in one direction through a spring zdfligj's. `stand 5, which permits the holt to be moved in a retrograde direction attcr the rock shaft 16 has been moved into locked position and a draii'er, -which was partly out when the sha'tt lolitas operated, is moved to its completely closed position, as before explained.

As here shown, this spring is inten posed between a xcd shoulderrc-Q in the channel ot the bolt 17 and a shoulder 30 on a slide 3l movable in said channel, the slide Bl haring a portion extending through the spring 28 and sliding` in a suitable hole in the shoulder 2i). Thebody ot the slide ,3l engages 'the bottom ot the chanf nel ot' the bolt 1T and is provided with a pin 3l in the bottom 33 extending through a slot of said channel, the pin 323 securing the Slide tothe 'bolt l?. rlhe eccentric means on the rock shaft l@ is here shownas aY rock arm having a crank pin 36 pressing in one direction Vagainst a shoulder '3? on the slide 3l and in the opposite direction against a shoulder 3Sy on the bolt,l the latter shoulder 38 being at one endy of slot 39, in the bottom of the channel oit' the boltl'.

AsV .here shown, the shaft- 16 exten ds through the slot 39? this slot hai-'ing a jog therein at one end olE which the shoulder 38 is located.y The slide 3l is provided With a tail extending beyond the shoulder 37 naeaaoe and normalliv abutting against the shoulder 3S.

The arrangement Ot the shaft i6, bolt l?,

kand moves the slide 3l and the bolt i7 as a unit to the .let't, the motion being transmitted through the spring "28. However, in case a drawer is not entirelyY closed so that the motion oit `the bolt 17 obstructed, the spring` '28 vill be compressed compressed vuntil the drawer `is entirely closed, when the spring 28 will press the bolt 1T to the lett to its locked position. spring also permits the holt to ratchet or latch as prei'iousriT explained. the roel shaft 16 to the right. presses the pin Se against the shoulder 3S, thus moif'ing the bolt 17 to itsunloclted position;

4:1 designates what be termed the locking unit asit carries the operatinga mechanism Vfor the locking mech* anismot'V the regular sections. This locking unit comprises a plate-like section insertible between. or on top of, or under7 any oit the regular drawer containing sections,y and loch operating mechanism carried by the plate and including means for coupling;` said means Vto the loc-l; mechanism ot the units and an operating member arranged parallel to the plate and having a handle exposed on i tac front edge ot the plate.

here illustrated, the plate-like section "ti has its margins arranged in angular reation to 'term a shalloiiT caviti.7 on one side, Vthe lower side oit the plate, the other-or upper `side being dat;

is here shown, the operating ijneans comses an operating rocir chatta-2 egtending vertically the rear end ot the plate-like section -l-l.e a manually7 operated member T3 hai/*ing a, handle L'l-l exposed at'the irontV edge of the unit di, means connecting the member elfi to the rock shalt li), and a key operated lock` d5 coactingwith the meniber lL-3.

`The rock shaft d2 is arranged to come into alineinent with the shafts 1G of the adjoining units and extends at a right angle to thegeneral plane of the unit l and is provided with rock v,he top plate.

JLhe operating member 43 extends in a The liflovement ot tor convenience thighJ2 arms lt and` 4:7 similarY to the roch armsl, '22, therroclrarm il" and remain i in a bracket 58 locking the drawers or other plane parallel tothe genera-l plane ofthe plate-like unit and extends at its front end through the down-turned margin at the front edge ofthe plate, andthe motion of the member 43 istransmitted'to the operating shaft 42 by means of a bell crank lever 5l pivotcd at 52 to a bracket 58 depending from the top plate'of the section 4l, one arm of the lever being pivoted-'at 54 to the Arear end of the member 43 and the other arm being pivoted at 55 tofone end cfa link 56 which is pivoted at its other end at 57 to the rock arm 47. Y i f The member 43 is guided in its movement depending from the top of the unit 4l`and theinward movement thereof is against the compression spring 59.'

The key operated lock 45 may be of any form, size and bolt coacting with the member 43. The lock has a key hole 6l yexposed on the front sideof the section 4l. 'Whentheflock 45 is unlocked, the member 43 is moved forwardly automatically by the spring L59, thus rocking the operating shaft 42, the motion of ywhich is transmitted to the shafts 16 for unmovable elements of the regular sect-ions.

When the member 43 is pressed inwardly until locked by the boltV 60 of the lock 45, the motion is transmitted through the-operating shaft 42 tov the rock shaft' 16 of the lockingmcchanism of the 'regular units.

By reason of the plate-:like unit 4l carrying the operating means `for the locking mechanisms of ,the'regular sections, the lock operating meanscan be placed in any desired position' and does not have to be placed or built into a regular section, ,and hence can ybe shiftedY without changing the relative positions of the regular sections. pi.;

What I claim is:

1. In a sectional cabinet, the combination of sections having movable'members asso,- ciated therewith, locking mechanism for locking the members from movement, and a plate-like section insertible between any two of the former sections and having lock operating mechanism including ,coupling means arrangedto connect said lock operating mechanism and the locking mechanism of the sections on opposite sides ofthe plateylike section, substantially` as and for Ythe purpose described.

2. Aysectionalgcabinet comprising a section having a drawer therein, a lock for the drawer, `and means on opposite sides of the section for coupling the lockto lock. operating mechanism, a plate-like section mountable on either of said opposite sidesof the former section, and lock operating .mechanism carried by the plate-like section and including an operating member, andconnec- Ations operated by said member extending lon opposite sides of the plate-like section for construction', and includes posed onone edge l the opposite side,

awer, and means on opposite sides of the cabinet for coupling the lock to lock operating mechanism, a plate-like section mountableon either of said opposite sides of the former section, and lockv operating mecha- 'nismcarried by the plate-like section and in` cluding a shaft extending at an angle to the general plane of said plate-like `section and havingmeans at its oppositeends for connection with either of the coupling means of the former section, and an operating member carried by the plate-like section and extending parallel to the general plane of said plate-like section, and having a handle exthereof, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. AV sectional cabinet comprising a section including a box having a drawer therein, the box being fiat on one side and having its opposite side depressed forming a shallow cavity, a lock for the drawer, said lock being located inthe box and having portions thereof extending through said flat side, and another portion located in the cavity, a plate-like section iiat on one side and having its margins arranged to form a shallow cavity on the opposite side, and lock operating mechanism carried by the platelike section in the cavity thereof and includmg portions extending beyond the flat side of the plate-like section, and portions located in the cavity, both portions being for connection ,withy the coupling `means of the former section, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

e. A'sectional cabinet comprising a section including a box having a drawer therein, the box being dat on one side and its other vside being depressed forming a cavity, a lock for the drawer, said lock being located in the box and having a portion thereof extending through said iiat side, and another portion located in the cavity, a plate-like section flat on one side and having its margins arranged to form a shallow cavity on and lock operating mechanismcarrled by the plate-like section in the cavity thereof and including a rock shaft located in the cavitvfandv arranged at an angle to the plane of the plate-like section and having coupling means at one end extending beyondV the fiat side of the platelike sectiom and coupling means at its other end located in the cavity o f said section, for connection respectively with said portions yof the klock of the former section, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6, LA sectional cabinety comprising a section including a box having a drawer theren, the box being flat on one sideand its Y for the drawer,

comprising a plate-like section other side depressed forming a cavity, a loch said loch being located in the bo); and having portions thereof extending through said fiat side, and another portion located in the cavity, a plate-like section flat on one side and having its inargins arrangeiil to form a shallow cavity on the opposite side, aiidloclr operating mechanism carried by the plate-like section in the cavity' thereof and including a rock shaft located in the cavityy and arranged at an i angle to the plane of the plate-like section and having'coupling means at one end extending beyond the flat side of the platedilte section, and coupling means at its other end located in the cavity of said section for connection respectively with said portions of the lool; of the former section, and an operating member locatedV in the cavity and connected to the rock shaft and extending parallel to the plane of the plate-like section through the angular front margin thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A locking unit fory sectional cabinet-s comprising a plate-like section, and loch operating mechanism carried by the section and including coupling moans extending 0n opposite sides of the plate-lilre section, and an operating` kmember extending parallel to the plate-like section and having a handle exposed at the edge of said section, in coinbination with sections of the cabinet between which the plate lilre section is inserted, ythe cabinet sections having lock mechanism including portions for coacting with said conpling means of the plate-like section, sub stantially as and for the purpose described.

8. A locking unit for sectional cabinets having its margins arranged in angular relation to the maior part of a section flat on one side and with a shallow cavity on the opposite side, and lock operating mechanism located in the cavity and iaving coupling means extending beyond the flat side of the section, and additional coupling means located in the cavity, and

Yan Operating member located in the cavity and connected to the coupling means, the operating `member extending through the angular margin of the sec-tion, in combination with sections of the cabinet between which the plate like section is inserted, the cabinet sections having loclr` `mechanism including portions for coacting with said coupling means of the plate-like section, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. :i sectional cabinet comprising` sections having drawers therein, each section having a lock for the drawer therein, said lock including means for coupling the same to the couplingmeans of adjacent sections, a platelilrc section placeable above or belon1 any one of the former sections, and lock operating said section thereby providing mechanism carried by the plate-like section and including `means for coupling said mechanism to the locking means of the adjacent sections, substantially as and for the purpose set y forth. I

'10. A sectional cabinet including sections,

each having a drawertherein, and mechanism for locking the drawer including a roch shaft having coupling means at its op posite ends for connection with complemental coupling means 0n the roch shafts of the locking means of adjoining sections, a plate-like section, a rock shaft carried by the platelike section and provided with means at its opposite ends for coupling the saine respectively to opposite ends of the rock shafts of the former sections, and an operatiirg member for rocking the shaft of the plate-like section, substantially as and for the purpose described;

ll. A sectional cabinet comprising sections having drawers therein, `and means for locking theV drawers including` rock shafts associated with the sections respectively, each rock sh aft having at its ends rock arms exposed on opposite sides of the section, the arm at one end being formed with a pin and the arm at its other end being formed with a slot for receiving the pin onthe roch arm of the adjacent section, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. Y Y

12. A `sectional cabinet comprising sec-l tions, having drawers therein, means for locking the drawers including rock shafts associated with the sections respectively, each roch shaft having at its ends roch arms exposed on opposite sides of the section, the arm at one end being formed with a pin and the arm at its other end being formed with a slot for receiving the pin on therock arm of the adjacent section, a plate-like section, an operating roch shaft carried by the platelike section and plate-like section, the roc-k `shaft being pro vided with rock arms at its ends, one of the rock arms having a pin and the other'having a slot similar to the pin and theslot of the rock arms of any one of the former sections, and an operating member for rocking said operating shaft, 'said carried by the platedike section and movablein a. planeiparallel to said plate like section, and having a handle exposed at the edge of said section, substantially as and for the purpose described. Y

13. A sectionl cabinet comprising sections, drawers movable in the sections, and means for lock'ng a rock shaft having a rock arm at one end formed with a pin projecting at one side of the section, and a rock arm at the other end of said shaft formed with a slot, the section being provided with a cavity in which the latter'rocl arm is located, the pin of one roch arm and the slot of the other rock arm member being i arranged at an angle to the e the drawers comprising in the opposite direction,

being arranged to coact with the slot and the pin of the rock arms of adjacent sections and the pin of each section extending into the cavity of the adjacent section, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

'14. In a cabinet, a body, a drawer in the body, and mechanism for locking the drawer including a rock shaft, a sliding bolt eX- tending at an angle to the rock shaft, eccentric meansv on the rock shaft coacting `with the bolt to move the same, and spring means interposed between the eccentric means and the bolt whereby the rocking movement of the rock 'sha-ft in one direction is transmitted to the bolt through said spring means, and the bolt is permitted to move in a retrograde direction relatively to the rock shaft, against the action of theI spring means, for permitting the locking bolt to ratchet into engagement with the drawer upon the closing of the drawer after the rock shaft has been locked from movement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l5. A cabinet comprising a c body, a drawer in the body, and means for locking the drawer including a sliding bolt havingk means for interlocking with'the drawer, `a slide, a spring interposed between the slide and thebolt, and means pressing against the `slide in one ldirection and tending to compress the ,spring and acting againstfthe bolt substantially as and, for lthe-purpose desc bed.

16. A cabinet comprising a body, a drawer in the body, and means for locking the drawer including a sliding bolt having means for interlocking with the drawer a slide, a spring interposed between the slide and the bolt, and a rock shaft arranged at an an le to the bolt and having eccentric means earing against the slide and tending to transmit the motion in one direction to Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the the bolt through the spring, and pressing directly against the bolt to move the same in the opposite direction, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

17. A cabinet comprising a body, a drawer in the body, and means for locking the drawer including a sliding bolt extending vtransversely of the drawer and having means for interlocking with the drawer, the bolt being in the form of a channel iron and having a shoulder therein, a slide l0- cated in the channel and having a shoulder opposed to the former shoulder, a `spring. interposed between the shoulders, and means for operating the bolt including a part acting in one direction against the slide, and in the opposite direction against the bolt, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

18. A cabinet comprising a body, a drawer in the bod and means for locking the drawer including a sliding bolt extending transversely of the rear end of the drawer and having means for interlocking with the` drawer, the bolt being in the form of a channel iron and having a slot, a shoulderin the channel thereof, a slide located in the channel and having a shoulder opposed to theformer shoulder, a spring interposed between the shoulders, and means for operating the bolt comprising a rock shaft extending through the slot in a direction at an, angle to the movement of the bolt and tion against the slide and in the opposite direction against the bolt, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed vmy name at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, this 24th day of May, 1916.

ARTHUR E. JONES.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

